beauty

"It's basically a tub of little tiny lip jobs": 9 new lip products that are worth the hype.

Let’s talk about ‘The Lipstick Effect’ - and no, I’m not referring to the fact that the silicone lids of all my keep cups are now permanently stained with ‘Russian Red’.

‘The Lipstick Effect’ is a term coined by Leonard Lauder, chairman emeritus of Estée Lauder, to summarise the theory that even in times of financial uncertainty and economic crisis women will still afford themselves luxuries, albeit on a smaller scale.

Watch: Here are some genius hacks to keep lipstick on your face. Post continues below.


Video via Mamamia.

Cosmetics companies have reported that in the midst of recession, high-end lipstick sales have curiously risen. It would seem that rather than splashing out on big ticket investment pieces - say maybe a designer bag or a coat - cash poor consumers still purchase a material pick-me-up, just on a more affordable scale. 

Personally I’ve always kept my lipstick circle pretty small. I have been known to rock a bit of Carmex, and if I’m feeling fancy, a good old-fashioned blue-red. You could say I’m an all or nothing kinda gal. But for the first time in my adult life, just over a month ago, I spontaneously decided to broaden my horizons and step outside of my comfort zone.

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I went in search of the perfect lip product - something with the colour and the staying power of a lipstick, but with the feel and conditioning qualities of a balm. My search ultimately came to fruition with the discovery of Dior Addict Lip Glow (more on that later).

Listen: Emmy winner and makeup artist extraordinaire Lipstick Nick is this week’s guest on In Her Bag. Post continues below.

Back to the whole ‘effect’ thing though. Post-purchase I was acutely aware that I suddenly felt f**king fantastic. It wasn’t just the fact that I was rocking quite possibly the most perfect, natural shade of pink and feeling myself pretty hard, it was also the little act of indulgence that was doing it for me.

You could say I’ve continued to ‘broaden my horizons’ ever since, with what is now quite the collection of lip products.

Considering it’s now day 7,534 of stay-home orders, is there a better time to be lifting our spirits with a little splash out on a teeny tiny present to ourselves? I don’t think so. 

Locked, but not down, babes! Whether you’re up for a spendy or a savey, treat yo’self to some of these reccommendations, 

Best Lip Masks.

SPENDY: Kenzina Plumping Lip Mask, $59.

Image: Supplied

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This is basically a tub of little tiny lip jobs. Containing 24 hydrogel masks saturated in a smoothing, hydrating lip serum, I pop one of these on every morning for 15 minutes of peace, plumping and quiet (mornings are for coffee and contemplation, anyway. Don’t talk to me).

SAVEY: Aceology Overnight Lip Mask, $19.

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Ok, so I’m going to assume that in school everyone did this, not just me? But if you ever painted your arm with PVA glue so you could have the sick satisfaction of letting it dry before peeling it all off - you will LOVE this mask. 

A couple of nights a week I sleep in a pretty liberal layer, and then the next morning use a warm damp flannel to gently buff away all the dry, dead skin… which painlessly peels away to leave soft and smoochable smackers beneath. 

Gross and amazing. Love it. 

Best Lip Serums.

SPENDY: iS Clinical Youth Lip Elixir, $99.

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When I had the iS Clinical ‘Red Carpet Facial’, just as I was getting up to leave, the facialist applied some of this and said ‘If you’ve ever thought about lip filler you’ll love this’. I mean… I hadn’t… but more is more, right? And she was correct! I DID love it. 

Providing immediate and long-term improvements, this defines the vermillion border, making your lips look extra pouty and contoured. So good!

SAVEY: Biologi BL Nourish Lip Serum, $24.

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All Biologi products contain actives at 100 per cent potency, and this lip serum is no different. The active ingredients, the way they’re extracted and how they work on your skin are very science-y, so in simple terms, this protects from free-radicals, which are unstable molecules that damage your DNA leading to ageing. 

It also builds moisture proteins into your cells, making this a dry, chapped winter lip saviour.

Best Lip Oils.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Lip Oil, $56.

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Just the one for this category, sorry! As much as I would have loved to go shopping for a savey, we gotta stay safe and stay home! This lip oil - a definite ‘spendy’ - IS magic, though. 

You’d think an oil would be thin and a bit slippery on the lip, no? But this actually has just enough sticky / grippy-ness to it that it stays put, giving a hint of rose colour while providing long-lasting lip conditioning. Technically a treatment, you could easily use this as a bougie balm or subtle gloss.

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Best Lip Balms.

SPENDY: Dior Addict Lip Glow Balm, $55. 

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I’m probably going to kick myself for writing about this (again) as the last time I did the girls from the You Beauty group literally bought the country out of it, and then my three-year-old ate mine and I couldn’t get another. 

In the end, I not only replaced my beloved lip shade ‘Rosewood’ directly through Dior, but I got my damn NAME engraved on it, too.

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SAVEY: Asap Hydrating Balm, $20.

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Containing niacinamide, alpine rose and SPF, this is, I think, my third tube? The frequency with which skin cancers are diagnosed on the lip has put the fear in me enough that you bet your ass my day-to-day balm has UV protection in it. 

It’s the feeling of this one for me, though. A little glossy, but smooth and glide-y and zero sticky!

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Best Lip Scrubs.

SPENDY: iS Clinical Lip Polish, $66.

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Texturally, this is the finest lip scrub I’ve ever used. The abrasive particles are absolutely tiny, you can see them shimmering in the light like miniscule pieces of glitter. 

It’s like a microfoliant for your lips! Incredibly effective at sloughing off dead skin, and available also as part of a lip duo with the iS Clinical Youth Lip Elixir, above. 

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SAVEY: Mecca Exfoliant Scrub, $28. 

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This oil-based sugar scrub is my daily prep before applying lip gloss or stick. Because it’s an oil based formula, it’s also incredibly softening as well as exfoliating. And if you manage to accidentally eat some, it tastes alright too! 

There you go! Nine little lip luxuries for an immediate pick-me-up. 

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Sure, some of us are basically in jail with no one to smooch but ourselves, but at least you can still look totes kissable on Zoom!

Any questions, or if you just wanna say hi and shoot some s**t, you can find me on my Instagram.

Have you tried any of the above lip products? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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